The Atlanta Hawks finished the 2024-25 season with the eighth-best record in the Eastern Conference, but played so poorly in their two play-in tournament matchups — against the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat — that they missed out on an actual playoff berth.
Understandably, Hawks ownership has already made wholesale changes to the club's brain trust during the team's 2025 offseason.
Atlanta ditched former general manager Landry Fields, replacing him with Onsi Saleh. The team has also brought in new senior vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham and fresh senior VP of strategy and analytics Peter Dinwiddie, while the club continues to look for a president of basketball operations.
New York Knicks denied request to speak with Quin Snyder
Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder
© Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Surprisingly, head coach Quin Snyder does not appear to be on the block, as Atlanta reportedly rejected a request to allow Snyder to interview with the New York Knicks for their head coaching vacancy. The team surprisingly fired head coach Tom Thibodeau after he guided New York to its first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years.
Now, Atlanta appears eager to add some young talent in what's expected to be a loaded 2025 NBA Draft.
The Hawks currently have the Nos. 13 and 22 picks at their disposal in the first round this year. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, however, they aren't necessarily content with those selections, and could look to trade further up into the draft lottery.
Fischer writes that "various sources have indicated that they do believe the Hawks will fall right in line with Oklahoma City, Orlando and Brooklyn as teams with multiple picks in the mid-to-late first round exploring various avenues to move up the draft board.
In terms of a positional target, it appears Atlanta does have a specific type of player in mind.
"Rival teams have projected the Hawks as targeting big men with whatever draft slots they ultimately operate from. After years of dangling Clint Capela on the trade block, Capela is finally expected to depart Atlanta via free agency this season, sources say. So the Hawks appear poised to have an opening for a center."
Four-time All-Star point guard Trae Young, All-Defensive guard Dyson Daniels and rising forward Jalen Johnson have emerged as the club's current core. Clearly, after a 40-42 season finish and a failure to make the playoffs, there's room for improvement.